HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations

Saturday, May 23

A group of workers and retirees of the Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company Haft-Tappeh gathered in front of the governorate building in Shush City. Recently, these protestors who are living in corporate houses of this company have received an eviction notice. They said that “we will evict the houses, but we have to receive beforehand the renovation expenses. Since these houses are too old, we have spent a lot on renovation”.

A group of poultry farmers assembled in front of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad in Tehran. They protested against a 600% increase in livestock inputs. According to these farmers, the subsidiary companies of the Ministry sell the livestock inputs illegally on the black market.

A group of personnel of the Ministry of Petroleum who have temporary contracts gathered before this Ministry in Tehran to protest again low wages. According to these protestors, a 10 per cent increase in wages can not keep up with current inflation.

A number of workers of the Municipality of Ahar City walked off the job and went on strike to protest unpaid wages.

Sunday, May 23

A group of pensioners of the Social Security Organization gathered in front of the Planning and Budget Organization in Tehran. In Karaj, Ahvaz, Tabriz, Kerman, Rasht, and Kermanshah, the pensioners held protests before the building of the Social Security Organization in each city.

These pensioners demanded raising their pension to stand above the poverty line, addressing the supplementary insurance issues, the end year bonuses.

 

 

 

A group of workers of the Municipality of Yasuj gathered before the governorate building to protest against 5-month delays in payments. One of the workers complained: “we work 12 hours. However, we cannot even afford the travel expenses so we have to walk to work. If we protest, they threaten us with termination.”

A group of citizens, who have not lost their money by the fraudulent acts of Negin Khordo and Irtoya, held protests before Tehran Public Prosecutor’s Office. They asked for transparency and responsibility from the judiciary in examining the legal case against these companies.

 

Monday, May 23

Following the collapse of a tower in Abadan, dozens of people rallied and protested. 27 people died in this accident. On that day, at least 80 people were still trapped under rubble.

In Tehran, a number of taxi drivers working for taxi app Snapp protested against low fares, lack of insurance coverage and other issues.

Tuesday, May 24

A group of students of Allameh Tabataba’i University protested against the suppression of students and prison sentence against Hasti Amiri, one of the law students at Allameh Tabataba’i University.

Recently, the Court of Appeals upheld a one-year sentence against Hasti Amiri.

Similarly, a group of students of the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology gathered on campus to protest against the prison sentence against Hasti Amiri as well as other imprisoned civil activist Farhad Meysami and jailed teachers Mohammad Habibi and Esmail Abdi.

In Abadan, hundreds of residents gathered and protested before the collapsed tower known as Metropol. They chanted slogans against the incompetency of officials and shortcomings in rescue operations and equipment. At least 26 people died in this accident. The experts of the Abadan Engineering Organization had already warned about the construction defect of this unfinished building.

A group of workers of the Ministry of Petroleum, who have temporary contracts gathered before this Ministry in Tehran. They said that a 10 per cent increase in wages is less than the minimum wage enacted by the Ministry of Labor. Also, they have not received yet the end year bonuses.

A number of ranchmen brought some of their livestock in front of the governorate building in Mehran city to protest against the shortening of forage for livestock.

Wednesday, May 25

A group of physicians held protests in front of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Tehran. With placards in their hands, they protested that the government and insurance take as high as 70 per cent of their revenue.

A number of residents of a district in Fanuj City gathered at their district to protest against Natural Resources Office’s attempt to confiscate their lands to construct a mine. They also warned about the irreparable damage this mine will bring to the environment.

Thursday, May 26

In protest against the incompetency of officials led to the collapse of a tower and the death of 26 people, hundreds of people in Abadan rallied. Also in Ahvaz and Shahinshar, people rallied in support of Abadan’s protest. People chanted anti-government slogans and the police shoot tear gas into the crowd in order to scatter them.

On May 23, 2022, the unfinished 10-story Metropol building collapsed and dozens of people were killed, injured or trapped in the debris.

 

 

 

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, many protests and rallies took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations

Saturday, May 14

In Qahdarijan City, Isfahan Province, a group of farmers gathered in a city square to demand their denied irrigation water portions.

A number of laid-off workers of Ramin Power Plant gathered before the entrance of this power plant in Ahvaz for the ninth consecutive day. They asked for prioritizing native labor forces in recruitments.

A number of workers of the Ahvaz and Kharq Oil Companies, who have temporary job contracts, gathered and protested in Ahvaz. They said that the 10 per cent increase in wage is less than the minimum wage enacted by the Ministry of Labor.

Sunday, May 15

Dozens of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) drivers walked off the job on strike and protested before Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company in Tehran. The workers asked for a wage increase in accordance with the enactment of the Supreme Labor Council.

Monday, May 16

The workers of BRT drivers continued their strike and gathered before the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company. They chanted slogans asking the mayor to resign.

 

 

In Tabriz, Ahvaz, Qazvin, Arak, Mashhad, Isfahan and Ilam, a number of Social Security pensioners held protests before the Social Security Organization in each city. These pensioners demanded raising their pension to stand above the poverty line, addressing the supplementary insurance issues, the end year bonuses.

 

 

 

The workers of Karoon and Maroon Oil and Gas Production Companies gathered before the National Iranian South Oil Company office in Ahvaz to ask to increase wages as much as other company personnel wages.

Tuesday, May 17

For the third consecutive day, BRT drivers walked off the job. They said a 10 per cent increase in wage is not enough and less what the Supreme Labor Council has enacted.

A number of land proprietors in the Sardasht area in Arak city gathered before the governorate building to protest uncertainties regarding the construction project of the University of Arak on their lands.

A group of individuals who have lost their money by fraudulent acts of Caspian Credit Institution in Rasht City held protests. Since 2017, their deposits have been frozen and they cannot withdraw their money.

The personnel of a heart centre hospital in Tehran gathered and protested at hospital premises. They protested against low and unpaid wages and issues regarding their pension.

Wednesday, May 18

The workers with temporary contracts who are working for the Oil and Gas Production Companies Karoon, Maroon and Aghajari gathered before the National Iranian South Oil Company in Ahvaz to demand an increase in wages as much as other company personnel wages.

Thursday, May 19

A group of land proprietors in Andisheh Town in Qazvin City gathered and protested in this town. Reportedly, after 25 years, they have not yet been granted the construction permit due to the obstructions of local authorities and a dispute on this issue between the municipality and the Police Cooperative.

In Sarpol-e Zahab County, in Kermanshah Province, a group of farmers gathered before the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad. They protested that the seeds provided by the Ministry have a poor quality.

The motorbike food delivery drivers of the Companies Snapp Food and Snapp Box gathered and protested in Karaj to demand an increase in wages following the current food price hikes.

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations


Saturday, May 7

A group of ranchmen in various cities such as Shahroud, Qazvin, Isfahan, Arak, Qom, Shiraz, Yazd, Kerman and Mashhad gathered and protested before the building of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad in each city. In Shiraz, the protestors rallied in the streets after gathering.

They chanted “livestock in Rials, the expenditures in dollars”, and “ranchmen are bankrupt.” to protest against the high prices of animal and poultry feed.

In response to a call for protest against inflation and surging prices in media, in Khuzestan Province, people in Shadegan, Susangerd and Izeh demonstrated. In this regard, in Susangerd, at least 20 people were arrested by security forces. in Izeh City, The police used tear gas to crack down on the protests.

A group of residents of the village Sheykh Taqqeh in Kurdistan Province held protests in their village against destroying farming lands for setting up factories.

They said: “Instead of using the place of Zagros Steel Company which shut it down under various pretexts, now they want to destroy farmlands to set up a factory. The closed factory location suits best this new factory. It is already equipped with gas and water and is near the railway. We are wondering why they want to build the factory on our farmlands.”

A number of staff of the contractor companies who are working for the Ministry of Energy gathered before the Administrative and Recruitment Affairs Organization in Tehran to demand official contracts with the Ministry. They argued that according to the regulations and enactments, all employees who have been recruited through passing the National recruitment exams should receive official employment contracts with government organizations of the Ministry of Energy.

A group of workers of the Coal Mining Galanderoud in Mazandaran Province held protests before the Iranian Mining Products and Supplies Company in Tehran.

According to the protestors, the employer forces them to come under contract with the contractors rather than the company itself.

The workers of contractor companies who are working as welders in Gas Tank Manufacturing projects as well as the Electrical and instrumentation workers working for Gachsaran Petrochemical Company went on strike. They asked for unpaid wages, the end year bonuses and a work schedule of 20 days on/10 days off.

Sunday, May 8

A number of retired workers of Haft-Tappeh Complex gathered before the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare office in Shush City. They said that after one year of the employer’s failure to meet their demands, they filed a complaint to the Ministry of Labour. But the process goes through very slowly.

The Social Security pensioners gathered and protested before the Social Security Organization’s offices in Ahvaz, Mashhad, Kermanshah, Ardabil, Rasht and Arak.

Some of their demands include raising pensions to stand above the poverty line, implementing an already enacted plan to close wage disparities, addressing supplementary insurance issues, and paying the end year bonuses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A number of workers of the Tabriz Petrochemical Company gathered before the company entrance to protest against the wage gap between the office personnel and workers.

Monday, May 9

In Mariwan, dozens of teachers and educators gathered before the Ministry of Education in support of two detained teachers Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah.

On May 1, 2022, security protests arrested two teachers and members of the Teachers’ Trade Association of Mariwan Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah. They went on hunger strike right after the arrest.

A number of citizens who have pre-purchased the apartments from the construction project Damon Darya 2 protested before the Kish Free Zone Organization. These protestors asked the managers to fulfil their commitments and complete the construction project after ten years.

The personnel of Sepah Bank gathered in Isfahan to protest against low wages and other demands.

For the second consecutive day, the workers of the Gachsaran Petrochemical Company went on strike and gathered at work premises. They asked for unpaid wages and other benefits.

 

 

Tuesday, May 10

A group of Administrative staff of Ali-Nasab Hospital in Tabriz gathered at the hospital premises to ask for receiving the extra payments that had been allocated merely to medical staff during Coivd-pandemics.

The green maintenance workers of the Municipality of Shiraz gathered and protested before the City Council Building. They protested against irregularities in payments, low wages and the lack of job security.

A group of the candidates for the residency exam protested to change the exam date.

A number of mini-bus drivers in Bandar-Abbas went on strike to protest against the fuel shortage.

Wednesday, May 11

For the third consecutive day, the workers of Gachsaran Petrochemical Company went on strike and gathered before the headquarters of Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company. One of the protestors told HRANA: “Today in this gathering, we the workers who have temporary job contracts ask for levelling up wages adequately because this 10 per cent increase is less than the annual increase in the minimum wage.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A group of shareholders of Bank Day gathered before the Central Bank in Tehran to ask for their demands. They chanted slogans for resigning the bank managers.

The workers of the contractors who are working for Adish Refinery Company in Kangan, Bushehr Province, joined the 1401 Campaign and went on strike. Many workers in the oil industry have recently launched a protest campaign to ask for raising wages.

A number of pharmacists assembled and protested before Food and Drug Administration in Tehran. They protested against the low wages determined by the Pharmacist Association and not holding elections for this association under the pretext of Coivd-19 pandemics for two years.

The residents of two villages in Shiraz County gathered and protested before the governorate building in Shiraz City. They protested against the poor quality and saline water caused by a salt dome along the river.  Despite frequent requests, the local authorities have done nothing to remove this salt dome.

Thursday, May 12

As a backlash to the new wave of inflation, citizens in several cities such as Shahrekord, Andimeshk, Izeh and Junqan poured into the streets. The police and security forces cracked down on the protests and used tear gas and live ammunition to scatter the protesting crowds.

In response to the call of the Coordinating Council of Iranian teacher Unions, both retired and working teachers in dozens of cities held protests before the Ministry of Education in each city and the parliament in Tehran. The protestors chanted slogans in support of detained teachers.